Atheist Opens Up About Getting Sexually Assaulted at Conference

My friend Ashley Paramore made a video talking about a skeptics’ conference she went to at which she was sexually assaulted. It’s hard to listen to, and not just because I know her personally. Please hear her story and understand that she’s one of the few women brave enough to speak up when sort of thing happens — there are undoubtedly many more who aren’t (or can’t):

Keep in mind that this isn’t the first time Ashley has dealt with this sort of harassment, either.

To their credit, as Ashley says, the James Randi Educational Foundation (that ran the conference where this happened) handled the situation well. Her story shows just how important it is for conference organizers to have clearly-defined policies regarding harassment so that everyone feels safe coming forward and speaking out.